InfoWorld's Galen Gruman writes that the main potential game-changing attribute of the Nexus One - that Google is selling the device direct - does nothing to move the industry past carrier lock-in. "At first, I wanted to credit Google for making a tentative step in the direction of smartphone freedom. But that step is so tentative and ineffectual that frankly I think it's a cynical fig leaf covering the usual practices," Gruman writes. At issue is a political battle regarding walled gardens in the U.S. cellular market, a fight that will take years to result in any true consumer freedom. "The only way we'll ever get the ability to choose a smartphone and carrier independently is for the platform providers that count - Apple, Google, and RIM - to first develop only multiband 'world' smartphones and then refuse to sell their devices (or in Google's case, use its Android license to forbid the sale of devices) to carriers that block or interfere with device portability."

Reading your post taking a shot at the US cellphone market I was tempted to look at the AT&T prices and heck paying 39.99 USD for 450 minutes and free calling to other members of the AT&T network (or 1350 minutes for 79.99 USD) sucks.

Ok but you're not pointing out that you get 5000 nights and weekend minutes with the $40 plan. You get unlimited nights and weekends with the $60 and up plans. You also get rollover minutes and family plans can really bring down the costs.

Is it a rip? Well compared to the price of a land line it isn't that bad considering that you get much more functionality. If you want to see a rip-off then read about our cable tv prices. Our bill was about $160 last month for ~80 channels and 1.5 Mbps internet. Oh but it comes with a "free" land line that we never use. Gee thanks.

Though I would support increased regulation of the cable companies it is only a matter of time before set-top boxes and netflix enabled devices get cheap and force cable companies to sell movies and channels individually and not as part of some mega package that no one wants.